Teachers strike: NUT chief expains anger

NUT General Secretary Christine Blower says the number of union members who
back strike action over pensions reform should send a "significant" message
to the government.

6:57PM BST 14 Jun 2011

Almost every state school in England and Wales is likely to close on Thursday, June 30, after unions unanimously backed a national walk-out in a row over pensions. Further action is expected to be taken in the autumn.

Members of two of the biggest classroom unions – the National Union of Teachers and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers – voted in favour of the strike following proposed changes to their retirement fund.

Some 92 per cent of NUT members and 83 per cent of those in the ATL who took part voted for the walk-out.

NUT's General Secretary Christine Blower said the ballot result showed "exactly how angry people are about these pension changes".